The General Dutch Diamond Workers Union (ANDB) was founded in 1894 after a big strike to improve the working conditions in the diamond industry.
Founders were among others Henri Polak and Jan van Zutphen.
The Union was extremely successful and succeeded (often as the first trade union in the Netherlands) in effectuating many regulations, that improved the status of the diamond workers, like minimum wages, an insurance in case of illness, invalidity, unemployment and death, an 8-hours working day and payment for a week of vacation.
Many Jewish diamond workers found their way to the Social Democratic Labour Party (the SDAP) and other leftist parties through the ANDB.
In addition to all the activities to improve the material status of the diamond workers, the Union, and especially its chairman Henri Polak, strived “to cultivate” the diamond workers and bring them into contact with the arts and culture.
The ANDB had its own library, initiated all kind of courses and organised excursions.
Polak also requested the famous architect H.P. Berlage to design a building for the ANDB union.This magnificent building, immediately called “the Castle” (“de Burcht”) because of its imposing appearance, stands in what is now called the Henri Polak Avenue (Henri Polaklaan) and houses the Trade Union Museum (het Vakbondsmuseum).
This database is based upon application forms for about 500 Jewish diamond workers and their families for a temporary dispensation of deportation in July 1942.
Diamonds, both the cut diamonds that were used as `negotiable instruments`,
as well as the industrial diamonds were very important for the German warfare.
This industrial branch therefore fell within the directives of the Rijkscommissariaat (“The Reich’s commisionary”).
Problems arose when the deportations started in July 1942 and this mostly Jewish professional group was in danger of being deported.Therefore a list of 500 diamond workers and 300 enterpreneurs that should get a temporary dispensation had to be drawn up.
The afore mentioned list was drawn up with the assistance of the Business Group Fine Metals and Diamonds that came into being in 1941 after the ANDB was dissolved.
545 Jewish diamond workers personally filled in the application questionnaires with details about themselves, their partner and children up to the age of 16, living with them, in total 1230 persons.A photo in passport format of all individuals mentioned on the questionnaire had to be attached in threefold.
The application forms and the majority of the photographs survived
and can be found in the archive of the ANDB kept by the IISG-Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis (the International Institute for Social History).